With two starters sidelined, Eagles beat Tigers behind stingy defense

YORK – Jamestown High had two starters sidelined by injury for its game on Tuesday against Bay Rivers District girls basketball leader Tabb. So point guard Aaliyah Lyttle didn't sugarcoat her answer when asked afterward if she thought the Eagles would beat the Tigers.

"Honestly, no," she answered, wearing what she calls her Kool-Aid smile. "They were undefeated (in district play) and they blew us out (by 16 points) the first time.

"But we showed up and got the win. It was low-scoring, but defense wins games."

Jamestown handed visiting Tabb its first district defeat 31-25 in a game that featured relentless defense by both teams. Tabb (12-2, 9-1) was every bit as good as it had been in allowing Bay Rivers opponents an average of just 31.7 points.

But Jamestown (8-4, 7-3) was just as good with its man-to-man. The Eagles limited the Tigers to 28.2 percent shooting from the field (11-of-39) and forced them into 30 turnovers.

And while the Eagles had terrible offensive numbers, too – shooting 23 percent and turning it over 25 times – they got key points when they needed them.

Jacque Hecker scored seven of her game-high 12 points to start the third quarter, as the Eagles increased their six-point halftime lead to 21-8. The Eagles held the Tigers off by making nine fourth-quarter free throws, three by Hecker.

Despite the absence of starters Katie Myers and Courtnie Williams, the Eagles exhibited their intensity early, nabbing five offensive rebounds on one possession. Fittingly on this night, they didn't score on any of their stickbacks, but Tabb had a worse time offensively.

That's because Jamestown hands were everywhere defensively. Lyttle harassed Tabb ball-handlers, Hecker and Aine Cannon were quick getting to the shooters on the wings, while Bryanna Watson and Charnissa Chillers denied entry passes.

"Coach (Mary Glisan) makes us do defensive drills where we slide and sprint, slide and sprint," Lyttle said. "We hate it in practice, but, as you can see, it paid off in the game."

Tabb, which played without starter Miranda Macfarlane, scored just one basket in trailing 8-2 after one quarter. Consecutive baskets by Tabb guard Emily Piazza (11 points) cut Jamestown's lead to 10-8 midway through the second quarter.

Jamestown led 14-8 at intermission, before Hecker scored all the points in a seven-point run the Eagles used to stretch the lead to 13 points to start the second half. She hit a 3-pointer on Jamestown's first possession of the third quarter, added a bucket inside and scored off of a steal.

"The first half I didn't shoot very well and I was getting a little aggravated," Hecker said. "So I really wanted to pull myself back up when I got back in the game and hit some shots."

The Tigers had just one good offensive stretch, scoring on four straight possessions – on two baskets each by Piazza and Shanteya Holder – to cut the Eagles lead to 26-22 with 2:18 to play in the fourth quarter. Chillers followed with two free throws for the Eagles, who've won four consecutive games.